Br Epiphanio Dias has gone home to celebrate his 100th birthday with the Lord in heaven. He passed away early Monday morning. While there are sorrowful hearts on earth, there is surely much rejoicing in heaven!
His body was laid out at St Britto Jesuit Chapel for the many who would have loved to pay their final respects to this happy and holy Jesuit Brother, who hails from Saligao. The Requiem Mass was celebrated at St Jerome Church, Mapusa, on Monday evening.
We often hear of famous Jesuits who have done some extraordinary work or the other. They had their time in the limelight. And then, there were others who also worked very hard but quietly behind the scenes.
One of them was Br Epiphanio Angelo Dias, who, on January 6, 2021, will celebrate his 100th birthday in heaven. He lived a good life of loving service in the Society of Jesus, doing simple jobs, working with dedication, and making people laugh along the way.
In beautiful Rangoon of Burma (now Myanmar), Epiphanio was born on January 6, 1921 and his parents, Anthony and Estefania Dias, brought the little children to India, as did many others.
He schooled at St Paul’s HS, Belagavi, and felt drawn to serve others as did the Jesuits he met at school. With his heart beating fast, he walked into the Jesuit novitiate Vinayalaya at Andheri-Mumbai on December 3, 1943 and was received by Fr Conget into the Society of Jesus.
Without formal training, Br Dias set about doing varied works assigned to him, with enthusiasm and commitment. He was responsible for different jobs in many Jesuit houses (some rather big) at different times in his life ” buyer, in charge of the kitchen, store room, linen room, boys’ infirmary, sacristan, maintenance, and so on.
As a humble Jesuit Brother, he left his imprint at Loyola HS (Margao), St Britto HS (Mapusa), St Xavier’s (Kolhapur), St Paul’s (Belgaum), and Xavier Training College (Desur). He spent most of his working years at St Britto, Mapusa.
As Hostel Prefect at St Britto, Mapusa, Br Dias took extra special care of young lads who were entrusted to him by their parents. He wanted them to grow and to mature as wonderful young men who could become productive citizens in this country or who could contribute to the world at large.
In an old note from 1982, while still assisting the Prefect at Mapusa, Br Dias jotted down his activities: “Checking and receiving dhobi clothes from boarders as well as fathers. Doing stage work when there is a function. In charge of mikes during sports. In charge of the chapel, both of the boarders and of the fathers. In charge of the sick and accidents to be taken to the hospital. Doing all the bills of the boarders.” In all these works, he served with great dedication and enthusiasm.
Br Dias was scrupulous when it came to his spiritual duties. At 5.30 am, you could hear his plastic sandals as he walked to the Chapel to offer himself to God for the day. Br Dias never missed praying his daily Rosary for various intentions and for those who asked him to pray for them.
Br Dias epitomised simple living and a contented life. He didn’t have many needs: he slept on a wooden plank without a mattress, had very few personal belongings, used his shirts and pants until they were threadbare, and was happy with the little joys of life.
People remember Br Dias with great affection ” for entertaining them with his violin, for his wit and humour, for his loving service to all, for being able to take teasing and to tease others without malice, for his kindness to birds and animals, and for his attitude of “doing whatever service I can in the house” even in his nineties.
He has been a man of God and he has shown God’s love to the people not by great preaching but by his loving example of dedicated service.
[The writer is Provincial of the Goa Province of the Jesuits]
